Blood Money
by airwolf addict
Summary: Story 23. What starts out as a simple good deed from Hawke turns into a life threatening mission...
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

It was a busy day at Santini Air, not really because of excessive business, but because they were short staffed today. Chance had caught something then inevitably passed it on to Le, so both were home with a parent. String was trying to stay away from it as much as possible, but suspected even Dom was getting a touch of whatever it was, but he was being too stubborn to give in and working harder than even to make up for the lack of employees.

"You think you can open up again tomorrow?" Dom asked. "I don't know if the others will be in and I have a meeting with the accountant. And speaking of accountant-"

"I know, Dom. Cait's being keeping me in line and she's far worse than you ever were." He shook his head in disgust at even the thought of having to do his taxes. Accounting had never and would never be his strong point, especially after that incident with Ellie's husband the thought put him off even more. "Yeah, I'll open up."

"Thanks kid."

"No problem, now why don't I close up so you can go home and get some rest, or you'll be sick too. Opening up is one thing, but I don't think I can run it all by myself with the workload you have scheduled."

"Don't worry about me," Dominic replied, but he already saw the merit in his surrogate son's words.

\A/

String was up at the hangar again early the next morning, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Early this afternoon there was a long charter that Saint John was supposed to take if he was here; otherwise he would probably end up taking it himself. Either way, a thorough flight check had to be done, last minute maintenance, fueling, and the list went on.

A feeble knock came from the side door. Couldn't anyone see the posted hours? They weren't due to open up for another forty five minutes. Again the person knocked, then he heard a dull thud. Maybe it was Saint John and he had forgotten his key, he thought. He hadn't planned on unlocking the door yet, but if Saint John was still on the verge of being sick, he didn't need to be standing out in the cool early March air. Grabbing for his keys, he went to unlock the door. The bolt slipped over and the door opened freely, only it wasn't Saint John. Blue eyes widened in surprise; he had a bigger problem than Saint John being sick.

A brunette hair woman in her mid-thirties had crumpled onto the ground before him, covered in bruises, gashes, and blood. She had obviously passed out, but seemed to be regaining consciousness now.

She fluttered open bleary, unfocused green eyes, muttered a helpless cry, and drifted off again.

Carefully draping her limp arms around his neck and gathering her thin body into his arms, he carried her inside and set her down on the cot.

He smoothed damp hair out of her eyes and grimaced at the blood flowing generously from a cut on her forehead. He knew that head wounds always bled worse, but this one did look pretty deep. Leaving her briefly to retrieve the first aid kit, she was regaining consciousness again by the time he returned.

She didn't say anything but stared hopefully into his eyes, searching for some form of compassion, then shuttered involuntarily. A noise in the background startling her immensely, she sat bolt upright, terror and fear dancing in her golden speckled eyes before collapsing once again.

He wasn't getting anywhere like this, String decided and she wasn't looking any better yet. As much as he personally disliked the places, she needed to see a doctor. He loaded her into the Jet anger and started off toward Foxridge Medical Center.

They were making good time, but Foxridge wasn't far by helicopter either. His new passenger suddenly awoke, scrambling up and fighting fiercely compared to how weak she had seemed earlier.

Her emerald eyes were alert and full of terror as she demanded he set down right now.

"I don't like hospitals either but you need more medical help than I can give you."

"Set it down. Land it!" she screamed in command, then started clawing for the stick herself.

"Calm down," he urged, but she refused. He'd never seen someone with a fear of flying like hers in his entire career.

"Set it down or…. Or I'll jump," she threatened, sliding closer to the door and just out of reach.

"That'll hurt you a lot worse than it would me."

She glowered defiantly.

"Listen to me."

"Now," she warned.

"Fine, I'll land, just give me a second." If he could get her to relax, the hospital would only be about another minute away.

She relinquished her grip on the door but remained watchful, not allowing him any chance of trying to slide something by.

He did manage, however, to postpone his landing long enough to get to their destination where the medical personnel, after a bit of a struggle and some tranquilizers, got her in.

\A/

"Sure have to admit she wasn't what we were expecting, but with you, Hawke, I never know what to expect," Dr. Ruthers remarked. "The way you described her I thought she would at least be easy to bring in."

"Yeah. I would've walked all the way here carrying here carrying her if I had to to have avoided that."

"She didn't seem as bad off as you described her."

"When I found her she was," Hawke answered, "drifting in and out of consciousness so often I didn't even get a chance to ask what her name is. When she woke up in the Jet Ranger, she just freaked out far more than I've ever seen anyone before."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the test results tell us."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Dominic pulled up at the Santini Air hangar expecting to see it open for business and String getting the chopper ready for the charter, but the lights were still off, doors locked, and there wasn't a soul in sight. He carefully unlocked and opened the door, on the lookout for trouble.

Papers had fallen off the desk and been strewn across the floor from some obvious struggle. The cot was out, but that wasn't what caught his attention. There were drops of sticky red blood smeared across the concrete floor, the contents of a first aid kit scattered abroad, minus band aids and gauze.

What had happened here?

The phone started ringing and Dom hurried over to answer it.

"Dom, it's String."

"Are you alright? I saw the mess and the-"

"Dr. Ruthers to the ER," he head a voice in the background say.

"You're in the hospital aren't you?!"

"Yeah, I'm _at_ the hospital, but not in a patient kind of way. I found a girl this morning all beat up and in pretty bad shape, so I flew her up here.

"I'll be back soon, just wanted to let you know what was going on."

"Just as long as you are alright."

\A/

She blinked heavy eyelids, squinting at the bright fluorescent lighting around her. Searching the room for a familiar face, she stopped with a certain brown haired pilot who somehow seemed familiar. Those eyes, sometimes so expressive but often guarded, were something she would never forget. She couldn't place exactly how, but she knew him and that he was someone who could be trusted. So if he was one to be trusted, who exactly was he?

She thought, fighting for a name. An S- the building had something like Santini- maybe that was it…

She motioned for him to come closer. "Will you help me?" she pleaded desperately.

Help with what? What had she gotten herself into that had left in such a condition? It might be something he'd rather not be involved in, but he couldn't just abandon her either.

"I don't know what I can do to help, but I will if I can," he answered.

"When can we talk?"

When can we talk? That sounded serious.

"Why don't we wait until you're out of the hospital at least."

"I can't stay," she stated firmly.

Just his luck. He would get someone equally as difficult about hospitals as he was, and even worse, she didn't like flying - or at least not on the way here.

"It'll just be a little while," he comforted, squeezing her hand gently.

"No, I can't. There are people after me. I have to hide before they find me again."

"You'll be safe for now, and I won't leave."

"These men are dangerous," she warned, " carry guns, they'll kill me."

He self consciously made sure his own gun was well hidden. He was sure he wasn't supposed to have one in here, but who remembers to unarm when trying to bring in a difficult, to say the least, patient? And if there was really someone after her, maybe keeping it wasn't such a bad idea.

"Stay here and I'll go talk to one of the doctors about getting you discharged."

She nodded, but he doubted she really meant it.

"Stay in here."

"I will," she replied, "promise."

\A/

"She's actually not in that bad of a condition - plenty of scrapes and bruises but nothing too serious. My only major concern is that we found faint traces of LSD and peyote in her bloodstream. Not much at all, or at least not anymore, but that would be of some concern."

"About how long do you think until she can go home?"

"If she can stay under constant supervision, slightly sooner than otherwise, but we're still talking a few days at least for some observation and more tests."

\A/

"I thought I told her to stay here," Hawke said, cursing under his breath.

"I did."

Coming out of the ensuite bathroom dressed in new clothes that she had mysteriously acquired, she smiled warmly. "We can leave now, can't we?"

"Actually, they want to keep you a little longer," he replied sympathetically; he didn't want to be here any more than she did, but he didn't have any better ideas yet.

"No I can't stay, and I **am** leaving - with or without your help."

"What is it that you are so worried about? Obviously something is the matter but what?"

"I need to talk with you somewhere else, more private. Do you know any such place?"

"I could think of one, but it appeared to me that you don't like helicopters very much."

"Can't we get there some other way?"

"Not unless you want a very strenuous three day hike."

"Please," she pleaded. "I need help but I don't know who to turn to. Nobody wants to help me."

"Ok, fine. I know a place where we would probably be able to talk privately, except for maybe an occasional interruption from my three year old son," he added with a grin.

\A/

"Can you handle a very short helicopter ride? It would only be about ten minutes tops, but I don't have any other transportation if you want to leave right now."

"I-I think so," she responded hesitantly.

"Good. Then let's get out of here."

Swiftly kicking the rotors into motion and preparing for takeoff, String talked his passenger through the whole process and handed her the other headset. Soon they were up in the air with the irritated nurses muttering down below.

"So, since I'm taking you against your will in a helicopter and helping you escape from the hospital, do I at least get to know your name?"

"Dante Rosetti, and yours?"

"Stringfellow Hawke."

"Who?"

"Stringfellow, my parents had a thing for names, you can just call me Hawke."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

The Jet Ranger landed smoothly outside the hangar and Hawke pulled off his dark aviators.

"See? Not so bad."

"Yeah, not so bad," she agreed reluctantly even as she released his arm from the white knuckled death grip she'd been holding for the last ten minutes.

"We can talk inside."

She looked ahead and vaguely remembered the hangar she had just seen before passing out.

"You're sure it's ok? I mean, I wouldn't want to be intruding..."

"It's fine," he assured her. "I'll go tell Dom I'm back then we can talk in the office."

\A/

Dante brushed back long brown bangs out of her eyes only to have them fall back down again while she awaited Hawke's return in the office he had shown her to. Getting a her hair done again hadn't been top priority with the way things had been lately but it was truly annoying now and this brown color wasn't really her either. Oh well, it could wait, it didn't matter how your hair looked if you were dead.

Soon Stringfellow Hawke rejoined her, with a warm streaming cup of coffee. "Want some?"

"That would be great," she smiled in appreciation. If nothing else he seemed to be a pretty nice guy.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

She hesitated briefly, wondering if was really such a great idea to be sharing her problems with a complete stranger. He seemed to be a good guy, to be here to help, but….

"I've had a few problems the last few weeks," she explained, overriding her initial hesitation and trusting her instinct. "I don't know exactly what I did, or didn't do, but everyone seems to be after me. I've been beat multiple time, there was even a bomb left for me in my office - luckily if didn't go off - but that's not all."

"What else?"

"I've been followed, chased, drugged, and shot at. So far I've been lucky and managed to avoid most of it, but they're catching up or else there are just more of them. I already tried going to the police, but it was one of them undercover. He beat me, knifed me, and when I tried to get away started shooting. That was right before I met you," she finished, sobbing.

"And you have no clue who is after you?"

She shook her head adamantly. "I did have a boyfriend a while ago, he was so mysterious and enchanting. I enjoyed it at first, but he kept so many secrets and worked late at night. He was hardly ever around and when I asked him he said no more questions or there would be consequences. That was my only guess but that has been a while."

"What kind of consequences?" he pried.

"I don't know. After trying to make it work a little longer I finally broke up with him, haven't even seen him in two and a half months."

"Is that when you first started having the problems?"

"Nothing serious happened until about four weeks ago."

Hawke was silent, trying to think of what the best plan of action would be.

"You can help, can't you, Hawke?"

"I don't know yet, but I can tell you this much - I'm going to try. And if I can't, I know somebody who probably can."

"I'd prefer it if this could, you know, stay on the down low. I haven't exactly had very good luck when dealing with others on this one."

"I can understand that, but if I'm going to help you have to understand now that others will be involved. I have to tell my wife, Saint John, and Dom and Michael probably. I'm sure it will be ok though."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure; these people are my family and I've worked with them for years. Michael may like to bend the rules a little occasionally, but I'd trust him with my life," _and frequently have_, he added silently. "I've been working with him for the last six years and a while before that."

"Daddy," Chance called as he pushed open the door to the office. "Want juice," he said, shaking his empty cup.

Hawke smiled. "Meet my son Chance," he introduced as he rifled through the mini fridge.

\A/

Caitlin finished fueling the Jet Ranger and moved out of the way so Saint John could take off. Everyone was feeling better today and it looked like things were going back to normal. Saint John would take that charter this afternoon, the rest of them would take care of the business, and she and String would watch Le tonight until Saint John came back the following day. Speaking of String, where was he? She hadn't seen him all morning; Dom had been on the phone with him earlier, a little upset sounding at first, but he hadn't said anything about it."

Dominic walked by with a box of new parts.

"Hey Dom."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where Hawke is? I haven't seen him since he left the cabin this morning."

"I talked with him while he was up at Foxridge, but don't worry, he's fine. Evidently we had a visitor this morning that needed some medical attention and he flew her up there, but they got back a few minutes ago. I think they're in the office now."

"Dom," String said, coming out of the office, " I need to borrow the jeep to take Dante to see Michael."

"Now or after work?"

"I think now would be better," he answered, suddenly feeling guilty for skipping most of the day's work. I will be here and work hard tomorrow he mentally promised, I will.

He was going to make this work for everyone.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Caitlin, broom in hand, continued sweeping the grey concrete floor even though she had already swept in twice. Eventually, he husband should show up and they could go home, but he still hadn't returned from his and Dante's visit with Michael.

"Cait, when can we go back to the cabin?" the teenage Amerasian boy asked impatiently.

"Soon hopefully," she answered honestly, she still had no clue where he was or when he'd be back but it had better be soon.

\A/

"How can I trust them?" Dante asked again. "You've been honest with me, the only one who has lately, can't I stay with you? I'll sleep on the couch, the floor, anything."

"They'll keep you safe," he insisted, "but you don't like flying and it takes about an hour by helicopter to get home."

She continued trying to think of a way not to be left here. For a month now, she hadn't met an honest, trustworthy person; now she had and he was leaving her with more strangers that might not be able to be trusted.

What should she do? If she stayed here and they trustworthy, she would be stuck here without any options. Maybe they were honest though, and if she left, she'd definitely be on her own.

"I guess I'll stay here," she decided out loud, " and I sure hope it's the right choice." Hawke had said they would help and so far he seemed honest enough, she'd just have to trust him on this one.

\A/

The Jet Ranger landed outside with a gentle thud and Hawke slid out.

"Sorry I took so long," he apologized. "Dante has had an interesting life the last month or so if everything she said is true, but if it is, I don't see how she survived it all."

"This from the one that beats all the odds on a regular basis?" Caitlin only half teased.

"I don't think I could have survived it all even with all of you, Airwolf, _and_ the FIRM on my side," Hawke returned seriously. "She claims shootings, beatings, bombs, attempts at mind control through drugs, but why would she be lying."

"You think she is trying to hide something?"

"Maybe, but what? And why? I hadn't even laid eyes on her before this morning, so why would she have something to hide from me? And if she is hiding something, why does she insist on sticking with me all day?"

"The saying goes keep your friends close and your enemies closer, or maybe she's just jealous that I already have the best, most handsome husband in the world and I'm keeping him all to myself," she smiled as she ran her fingers through his short cropped brown hair. "Don't worry about it, it'll all work out in the end."

"Yeah."

"It will, String, we'll figure it out."

\A/

**Mid-Morning the following day…**

Snow, orange sand, and rocks. That was all that was visible for miles and miles in any given direction.

"You weren't kidding when you said way out here," Hawke remarked dryly.

String and Dante continued across the windy, snow-covered, barren land of the Valley of the Gods.

"How long?" Hawke demanded, stopping the jeep.

"Soon," Dante promised.

"How long?" he repeated impatiently. "We've been out here going in circles for two and a half hour; it's cold, windy, and I'm tired. I want to know exactly where and when we'll get there now."

"We'd get there a lot faster if you kept driving," Dante retorted.

"Tell me now, or I'm turning this jeep around."

"Straight ahead for five minutes," Dante instructed. "If he isn't there, you can turn around, drop me off somewhere, and forget you ever met me."

"I'm not going to just dump you somewhere, I'm just tired of driving in circles in the middle of nowhere, and I even kind of like nowhere."

"That is very reputable of you, but you might think differently now…"

"Why?"

There was no need to answer.

Out of nowhere a Su-25 flew overhead. It was more than a little odd to be flying so low over the Valley of the Gods, more than a little odd to have a Russian fighter jet over the Valley at all. Suddenly gunfire came from overhead and ate up the ground behind them.

Why couldn't he just live a normal life like a normal person? He had officially been out of the Airwolf project for nearly five months now and she had been totally uninvolved in his life except for a brief instance involving an art thief that was about to blow him and Santini's Jet Ranger out of the sky for good, and that Saint John had been on a few minor missions as of late. Dom had mostly stuck to running the business, so things had been more regular and normal for him than they had been in years.

He would never claim to be proud of everything he had done in the past, including some of the things he had done to find out even the smallest tidbit of his MIA brother's whereabouts, but for the most part Airwolf missions had been pretty good. Now Saint John was home and life could be good, that was the plan anyway.

Gunfire pounded into the packed orange soil mere inches away. Hawke turned a sharp left, then to the right, constantly changing speed and direction so that he would be a harder target to hit, but he already knew they were no match for the Russian fighter.

If they were to make it out alive, there was only one way, one chance. What about Dante though? His trust in her was wary at best. What was the choice though? It looked like it was that or nothing, nothing being be shot dead on the spot.

Dante's fear didn't seem quite natural though. Scared yes, terrified she was going to loose her life no, it was almost as if she was expecting him to shove her out though; that wouldn't really help him much and that would make her an easy target, but that's what her body language seemed to telling him.

It was now or never, take a chance or loose for sure. "Hang on," Hawke shouted above the noise of the overhead shooting.

"What?" she questioned, suddenly looking afraid of whatever crazy stunt he was about to try to pull off.

"Hang on, this is just about to get interesting."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

The jeep did a complete one-eighty, tires screeching against solid rock in protest and sending them flying in the opposite direction. The speedometer reading was constantly increasing as they sped across the ground leaving an enormous dust cloud behind them.

"It won't matter if they don't hit us if your driving kills us," Dante remarked dryly.

"Would you prefer I drive nice and slow and get our tails shot off?" String demanded even as he pressed down even harder on the gas pedal.

There were headed straight for a large mesa and he didn't look like he planed to change course anytime soon. "Are you suicidal?!" Dante exclaimed. "They'll corner us, assuming you don't plow us straight into the rocks first!"

"I know what I'm doing," Hawke bit back, "unless of course you'd like me to stop and let you drive."

He still wasn't sure that this was such a hot idea but it was the only way they had a chance of living through this.

Rounding the rocky side, he pulled into a hidden dark opening and slammed on the brakes.

'Angel, begin startup sequence.'

'Startup engaged.'

The long, thin rotor on the deadly shark-like helicopter began to lull lazily, but were quickly gaining speed.

"Get in," Hawke shouted back to Dante who was still frozen in her tracks near the entrance. "Now!"

"I-I can't," she stammered gazing anxiously again at the lengthy rotors now ripping through the air with deadly speed. "I'm afraid of flying and… and…. That thing is alive…."

"That's more than I can say for us if you don't get moving."

She took a tentative half step forward then stopped again. "I don't think I can."

String, now donning a partially zipped flight suit, took her hand and practically dragged her behind him into Airwolf's cockpit.

The doors closed with a powerful whoosh and they started up the chimney.

'ID - three Su-25s."

"Damn," Hawke cursed. Couldn't even take it easy on him.

"What?"

"It's not just the one anymore, there are three others."

Sure enough, three more Russian fighter jets flew in from the horizon.

A missile came from one, but it was easily destroyed by a sunburst. Gunfire persistently rung out as it hit the armored black skin and bounced off.

"They outnumber us four to one, we'll be killed!" Dante cried out in fear.

"Airwolf is always out numbered," Hawke replied, "but never out gunned."

An AA-8 Aphid sliced through the air and Airwolf rolled to the right, rounded a mesa and reappeared on the other side.

'Combat mode.'

The ADF pods slipped down and chain guns out from behind the stubby little winglets. Now it was time for battle.

String hit the turbos, shooting through the sky and closing the distance between him and the nearest Su.

Dante's gaze fell to the array of monitors and controls around her - in particular to the speed. "No, helicopters don't do mach one," she said incredulously. Her crazy fears must be causing her to hallucinate, imagine things, read it wrong.

"This one does," Hawke replied nonchalantly without taking his eyes off the fighter jets ahead.

A Sparrow took out one, but there were more to follow. The other three dropped behind and sent another missile to chase them, covering the ground far faster than they could.

'Sunburst.'

'Sunburst deployed.'

The missile didn't take to the decoy though.

"It's still after us," Dante announced, her voice now full of genuine fear.

Banking a sudden right turn, Hawke evaded the Su-25's missile and watched it impact into the earth below. Now facing the enemy head on, he launched a Sidewinder at one of the remaining foreign aircrafts, bit it missed. The other didn't miss the chance to fire at him again though. Hawke was unwillingly forced to retreat temporarily.

I haven't been up here in a while and it shows, he mentally scolded himself. Combat flying was dangerous, not to be taken lightly, and if he was going to be up here battling it out he was going to have to stay on top of his game.

Hawke snapped the visor down on his helmet and the auto targeting box appeared. A moment later the Soviet fighter was reduced to a smoldering ball of scrap metal and flames. The last didn't wait in line to be next, instead starting full speed in the opposite direction.

Dante let out a relieved sigh and glanced across at Hawke, offering him a beaming grin. "You did great."

He, on the other hand, looked more skeptical. "We aren't dead, there is that much."

\A/

Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III gaped in astonishment from Hawke's account of the afternoon's misadventures. Needless to say, things hadn't gone well for a calm, civilized meeting as planned.

"We're back to square one then."

"What are we going to do about it, Michael?"

"There's not much we can do at this point. If we can get some more information, maybe we can formulate a plan of attack. Until then, we just have to wait it out."

"So she has to wait like a sitting duck in the middle of hunting season until someone comes after her, _then_ we can do something about it."

"Hawke, I'm already doing all I can to help her, but we don't have anything to follow or go by."

"Find something," he replied tersely, taking Dante by the arm and leading her out of the office.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Saint John landed the Santini Air helicopter on the tarmac outside the hangar after the long trip back from Albuquerque. He wearily slid out, his feet hardly having hit the ground before two boys came running out to greet him. It had been a long flight but well worth it to get a greeting like this, he thought as he returned the hugs.

Next Caitlin came out to welcome him and retrieve her son.

"Thanks. Is String not around, or is he just not very happy to see me?"

"Who knows?" Cait answered, rolling her eyes. "He's been between the cabin, here, and Michael's office so often lately I never know whether he is coming or going."

"Why, what's going on? And what would he be doing at Knightsbridge? Last I knew, he said he wasn't doing missions anymore because he was afraid he would get you or Chance hurt."

"That's what he tells me, if you check Airwolf's latest logged combat flying time by him though, you might disagree."

"What has he been up to?"

"Honestly, I know very little. This girl, Dante Rosetti, collapses out here one morning when he was opening up and he flew her to Foxridge. After that, I don't know exactly what's what; somebody is after her, trying pretty hard to have her killed, and he has been trying to help. Right now all they've managed to do is take out three Russian Sukhoi Su-25s over the Valley of the Gods before they could blow up the jeep and kill them."

"He doesn't believe in living even a whole week without some major catastrophe, does he?"

Caitlin shook her head slightly. "Everything was pretty normal until Dante showed up; since then, things have been hectic, to say the least."

"Can't the FIRM set her up with some new identity or protection and let everyone get back to their lives?"

"I'm sure they could, although I'm not sure if she knows that yet. String has been kind of wary of her though; he isn't completely sure she is up to par."

\A/

Dante paced the room impatiently. Hawke had again left her in the FIRM's protection despite his current disgust with them. He seemed determined to find out who her attackers were and put an end to her problems with them; should she be happy or afraid? She knew she wouldn't be able to run forever, that she had made it this far was purely luck, or else a miracle of God's grace, but she become rather fond of Hawke in a weird sort of way. It wouldn't ever become anything more, but she would like to stay in contact as a friend if possible, and she certainly didn't want him hurt because of her. From a single ride in Airwolf, she knew he could take care of himself and that Stringfellow Hawke was definitely not one to be taken lightly. That was one thing that worried her immensely. He had every reason to hate her, to want to kill her, if only he knew, but maybe he would never have to find out. Some secrets were best kept a secret.

"Dante," Hawke addressed abruptly as he entered the room. "We need to talk and get some things straight."

\A/

"What did you want to talk about?" Dante asked innocently.

"I'll admit upfront I've been a little wary, but what is really going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Dante Rosetti, I don't think you're telling me the whole story."

"Why would you think that? I was beat and threatened, you yourself heard the doctor's results."

"For one, because you're avoiding the question. And secondly, because you just don't add up."

Dante glanced nervously down at the floor. This might just be it, but Hawke had been truthful with her and he deserved the same with him.

"Ok, I admit it; I didn't tell you everything. I'm not even entirely sure I want you to find the ones responsible.

"There is a group, mostly Russians, that heard news of Airwolf being destroyed in Libya. They were very disappointed as they would have liked to get their hands on her themselves, but that obviously wasn't possible if she were destroyed and there were no blueprints. Soviet scientists started working together to build there own but so far have been unsuccessful, although recently they have had a few breakthroughs. When they finally found out about you living and working in Van Nuys, they figured Airwolf must have survived for you to."

"First off, I don't exactly live in Van Nuys, and this isn't really any new news to me. The Russians have tried to get Airwolf before. Besides, what does this have to do with you?"

"Since all the previous efforts have failed, this group sent me to find out where you were hiding this top secret one of a kind helicopter and then kill you."

"Get and Airwolf and kill me, is that all?"

"I was in Russia at the time and had been for a while working as a translator for a large communications company. They offered me a large sum of money, and I am ashamed to say I seriously considered it, but I didn't think I could pull it off so I declined. After that they made my life a living nightmare, did most of the things I told you about. I fled back to the United States and promised I would take care of business for them so they'd stay off my back. I thought I could get close enough, and find out what I needed to know, get my info and kill you, but I couldn't after you helped me that day. You didn't ask questions - you helped and seemed like a genuinely nice guy. How could I hurt someone like that?

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I wish things could be different. I don't want you to get hurt, but after that fight in Airwolf, I was afraid that if I told you, you would go and just end up getting yourself killed. I can tell you this, Stringfellow Hawke, I don't want to be involved in your downfall in any way, but some things can't be changed, and they **will** use all the information I've already given them in any way they can to get to you."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

The phone rang out loud and clear, shattering the silence of the early afternoon quiet. Dominic went over to answer it, but was immediately requested to summon Hawke. "Momma Mia, I get left out of everything these days," Dom grumbled as he called for String.

"Yeah, Michael."

"After some estimating from Marella and the information you were able to get from Dante, we have put it through the computers and come up with a probable location for our Soviet adversaries."

"When and when?"

"As soon as possible, and it's a Russian base on and island off the Pacific coast, but there's bad news."

"What?"

"It's guarded, **very** heavily guarded."

\A/

**Early the Next Morning…**

Caitlin handed her husband a sandwich then went about fixing one for herself and Dom. Chance giggled, running by with sticky fingers from his own lunch. String handed him the sandwich Caitlin had just given him and went back to his work. Chance took it eagerly, but seemed more interested in playing with it than actually eating it.

"String."

"Yeah, it's good," he answered absently.

"String, you know that was for _you_ to eat. You didn't even as much as look at it, much less take a bite out of it. Please take a break and eat something; you've been working non-stop since seven this morning."

"Sorry," he said setting down a wrench. "I gave up the missions because I was afraid of hurting one of you, but lately all I've been doing has been the same kind of thing I was trying to avoid. Don't you find that a bit hypocritical? I just want to get this over with and get back to normal life."

"Is that really what you want, or just what you think you should or have to do?"

He gazed up suddenly, taken by surprise at her question.

"Well?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Perhaps not, but you look like you feel kind of left out of your own life. Airwolf came into our lives because of you and you're the only one not actively involved anymore. I know what you said, but you have to understand that everyone will die eventually; I'm not wishing you or anyone else dead any sooner than necessary, but one day it will happen and there isn't a thing in the world you can do about it. You might as well live life to the fullest while you can," Cait paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. "Stringfellow Hawke, I'll love you to the ends of the earth, to hell and back, but you can't live your whole life worried about how someone is going to die because of you. If you want to stay out of the missions, that's fine with me, would even save me a little worrying, but if you want to go back, I'll support you all the way."

He stepped forward, drawing her nearer and wondering how in the world she could put up with someone like him on a daily basis. Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he silently thanked her for being so understanding, more understand than he even he himself was about the internal turmoil that affected so many aspects of his life.

An alarm from Airwolf's communications panel interrupted their peaceful moment though, bringing them back into reality.

"What do you want now, Michael?" String asked irritably.

"I've got bad news and worse news, which do you want first?"

"Neither.

The spy continued on anyway. "Dante is missing and our projected location for the Russian base was correct, only now they're waiting on you."

"Just what we didn't need."

"I'd like you and whoever is flying with you to come in for briefing within the hour."

"Make it two, we aren't finished repairing and re-arming the Lady yet."

"An hour and a half, Angel out."

Hawke rolled his eye heavenward. Two hours would be pushing it, and hour and a half was pressing impossible.

"Archangel wants to see us for a briefing as soon as we're done here."

"Let's get busy then; there's still lots to do."

\A/

Michael paced the room impatiently awaiting Hawke and his team's arrival. He waited as minute by minute dragged by.

Samantha slipped the door open part way. "Sir, they just landed on the roof."

"About time," he muttered under his breath as he looked up at the clock. Hawke had already gotten his two hours and ten minutes passed that.

"Hawke, you-" Michael stopped midsentence when he realized it wasn't Hawke at all, but rather the unruly blond haired airforce pilot Major Mike Rivers.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't Hawke, but news doesn't always travel the fastest to me, so just correct me if I'm wrong."

"No, I'm just waiting on Hawke and he was supposed to be here forty five minutes ago. What did you need, Rivers?"

"I heard about the girl, Dante I think it was, and I was just coming to see what you wanted done about it."

"Is there any new information?"

"Nothing."

Dominic, String, Saint John, Caitlin, and Chance walked in the double doors and took seats.

"You're a little late," Michael remarked dryly.

"We weren't finished with the repairs yet," Hawke replied succinctly. "What is the latest news?"

"About the same as before, but they are giving a deadline. Tomorrow but sunset, otherwise everyone there will be killed and…"

"That's all I need to know."

"The area is surrounded by practically its own army: guards, surface to air missiles, multiple fifty millimeter canons…. It truly is a fortress."

"Has anyone ever made it through these defenses?" Caitlin asked concernly Michael continued listing off the multitudes of different armaments. She knew what she said about supporting whatever his choice was, but she didn't want him signing up for suicide either."

"Not in a helicopter, granted, they didn't have Airwolf. One pilot made it past in an F-15 fighter jet. But they've upgraded their defenses since then."

"It's not going to be easy, Michael."

"I know that, and that's precisely why I want you to do it."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

"I don't know, Michael. Just from the air fight the other day, I can tell I'm not a the top of my game."

"Well you haven't done any combat flying in nearly five months, Hawke," Caitlin joined in, "not being at your peak is kind of normal."

"Maybe, not that doesn't make it any more allowable. It's not like they're going to take it easy on me because I haven't flown combat in a while."

"What about going in some other way?" Saint John suggested.

Michael stroked his mustache thoughtfully for a moment as he considered the possibilities.

"Boat or submarine would be the only other way in, and boat would work because it would been seen too easily and it would be any easy target. Sub wouldn't work well either."

"I don't want to see her get killed, but is it really worth risking the lives of the whole team and Airwolf for one person?"

"Have to," Hawke replied emphatically. "If she wanted to, she'd make one helluva agent that I'd rather not cross paths with in the future, she knows about Airwolf, and I promised her I would o all that was in my power to keep her safe from them."

"Hawke…"

"A promise is a promise." Gabrielle's broken promise still haunted him nearly every day of his life, probably always would, and he wasn't about to let the same things happen to Dante if he could help it.

\A/

Marella's fingers flew over the keyboard easily as she finished sending the information to Airwolf's on board computers.

"I've done all I can, sir."

"Thank you, Marella. Now we just hope and pray that he can pull it off."

\A/

Airwolf flew over the choppy Pacific waves. "We're nearing the island," Dom announced, "and Saint John is still right on course."

"Dom-"

"Don't even think about it, kid. You won't make it without a good engineer, and I **am **going."

"If I make one mistake a serious possibility considering how long it's been since I've last flown combat, I'm dead. I don't want to take you down too."

"Then don't mess up," Dom replied simply. "You've taken chopper s through nearly impossible odds unsheathed and set the damaged ones down gently. If anyone can get through those defenses, you can."

"Cobra to Airwolf."

"Go ahead, Saint John, I read you."

"Everything alright over there? We're due to start in in one minute."

"Right, we're ready."

At the appointed time, Hawke tilted the cyclic forward and they started the run. They flew close to the ground around the parameter until he found a good place of entry.

"We are undetected so far, Saint John starts in in two minutes."

We had better start taking out some missiles then. Combat mode."

"Combat mode," Dom confirmed as the ADF pods and guns slipped out.

"Missile on your nine, heat seeker, deploying sunburst."

"No, not yet."

"Hold the sunburst. 'Nother one on your three."

"Cut the engines and deploy sunburst on my count - six….five… four…. three…two…now!

The two missiles collided, exploding midair behind them.

"Re-engage rotors."

"Re-engaged. Nothing yet, but watch the 50mm's up ahead."

Airwolf slipped past two missile launch sites over the middle of the compound. Eyes widening in realization of the trap he had just flown into, he punched the buttons overhead, connecting a call to his brother in the Cobra.

"We're right on schedule, String," Saint John assured.

"No, get out! It's a trap, hopefully Airwolf will make it, but the Cobra never will."

"String, missiles at the twelve, four and seven!" Dom alerted him in alarm. Right now they were all heading for them, but it he went to evade any particular one of them he'd run into another head on.

"Yeah, let's hope they don't meet in the middle, cause that's where we are."

String hit the turbos and sent them into an almost vertical power climb, a miracle of God being the only possible reason why they didn't stall out.

"Altitude is twenty thousand and climbing, twenty five…"

A black darkness threatened to overpower him, but he fought it with all his might, knowing that if he gave in he would never wake up.

"Thirty thousand, thirty five…"

The missiles continued dogging along behind.

"String, String? Are you still with me?"


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Marella watched Chance's breathing slow to an easy, even cadence as he slept peacefully. He slept so serenely, so unworried and carefree; sometimes she herself wished she could do the same. But he was young and innocent, naive, totally unaware of the dangerous task his family had undertaken. She, on the other hand, had seen things like this go wrong too often to sleep easily with something like this going on. Sighing quietly, she slipped out of his bedroom and down the stairs from the loft. Picking up a thick paperback, she attempted to put her concern away for a while.

\A/

Saint John pulled the Huey Cobra out of the strike zone just in time to avoid a fatal collision.

"Going for risk takin' today?" Rivers asked with a smirk, "that was a little close."

"Let's just hope String is as lucky."

"You're really worried about him aren't you?" Mike asked sincerely. "Don't worry. He's a big boy and can take care of himself."

"That may be true, but the protective older brother mentality doesn't just go away, I always feel like I should be there making sure he doesn't get himself into too much trouble and to protect him, to make sure he comes out alright."

"He'll make it," Mike said, "otherwise who would I pick on all the time?"

"I certainly hope you are right."

\A/

"String?" Dom's voice held the worry he knew was very evident in his features. He didn't care how evident it was though as long as they made it out of this alive. "Are you still with me?"

"Yeah," he replied briefly as they leveled off at seventy five thousand feet, having long ago avoided the missile, and dropped into a deadly dive. "Radio Saint John and tell him I'm taking out the defenses now and he can come in."

\A/

Mike noticed the sudden worried look in Caitlin's eyes as she stared ahead.

"What is it?"

"Look."

Even from here they could see Airwolf, nose down speeding closer and closer to the ground.

"Sinj, come on in. We're taking out the defense now," came Dom's short radio message.

"Take it out yeah, but they're going to kill themselves doing it!"

Saint John piloted the Huey Cobra through the fire and smoke toward the base.

"Alright, no matter what happens, you and Mike go in, get the girl, and get out. Do you hear me? No excuses."

"What about Dom and String?" Caitlin found her voice already tear choked and hoarse.

"We have to let them do whatever they're doing."

"But…"

"No buts, we go."

Landing the Huey abruptly outside a solid concrete building, Saint John let them out then flew out of sight. Caitlin and Mike hurried in in search of Dante while the others provided the necessary distractions.

Hurried footsteps pounded down the hallways in search of the missing woman.

"You go right, I'll take the left."

With a curt nod Caitlin turned down the hall and started checking each door for Dante. Door after door revealed spotless sterile environments, rooms for torture, drug storage, and examination rooms.

"Cait, I found the holding cells," Mike announced. Together they investigated each room, only to find empty ones.

"For such a large place, they sure don't have many prisoners."

"That's fine with me; I don't want to have to do this again any time soon."

"Guards," Cait warned.

Mike and Caitlin slipped into an unoccupied room and shut the door as much as possible without locking themselves in, leaving just enough to peek out the tiny crack. They watched the security guard mechanically cross the hallway, check a door two down then turn off into a different corridor.

"Let's check there," Caitlin suggested, pointing to the door the guard had just left.

Carefully sneaking up, they shoved the door open.

Dante lay stretched out on a thin mattress that sat on top of a frangible metal frame. Cuts covered her arms and legs, blood pooling beneath her and drying on the cold cement floor and leaving a sticky red residue.

"Is… is she even alive?" Caitlin whispered. Dante may never have been her favorite person, but she hadn't gotten to know her that well either, and she didn't deserve to die. Not for trying to do the right thing.

Mike searched for a pulse, any pulse, any sign that she was still alive, but found none. "She's dead," he confirmed solemnly.

Blood-curdling screams from down the hallway ripped them away from the frozen moment of pain and gave them a brutal shove back into reality.

"We've got to hide."

Glancing frantically around the room, they found the desenagrating bed to be the only possibility for hiding, so they scrambled and shoved into the tight confines. The footsteps went into the adjoining room and dropped something, or someone, off.

"What about the other one?" a husky voice just outside asked.

The heavy metal door was shoved open and a muscular man with short cropped hair and a raspy voice came in, muttering to himself as he bent down to check of the blood drenched woman was still alive, and not surprisingly, she wasn't. He unceremoniously dropped Dante's limp body back to the ground and left the room.

"You killed her."

"She's not supposed to be dead!"

"Well she is, you've wasted another one. I suggest you get this last one right or the boss will treat you like you treated them."

"I'll have someone to clean up the mess in five to ten minutes."

"Alright. I'll go deal with the attempted invasion," he laughed harshly. " I heard it killed another helicopter and the whole crew. When'll they learn?"

Caitlin suppressed a quiet sob, tears brimming her eyes and overflowing down her cheeks.

"It doesn't necessarily mean…"

"What does it mean then? It has to be Airwolf or the Huey Cobra, they were the only ones out there, dammit Mike, they're dead."

"Cait, you have to get a hold of yourself. We don't know they are dead and we aren't going to assume so until we have proof. Even if they were, we can still get out but you have to keep your head, understand?"

She nodded tearfully, trying to get a hold over her emotions that had decided to run rampant. "Yeah, let's go."

Mike pushed the adjoining door open cautiously, revealing a very similar scene to the previous one, but this time the girl was at least breathing. Heartwrenching, terrorized sobs racked her body as she tried in vain to calm herself. Blinking wearily, she became aware of her visitors and tried to scramble up defensively but soon gave in to the pain.

"It's alright, we aren't here to hurt you," Caitlin said soothingly as she knelt down beside the girl.

"That's what they all said," she returned spitefully, eyes burning bright with anger and pain, "lies, lies, it's all lies."

"Really," Mike joined, "assuming they haven't been shot down, we have two helicopters outside waiting to take us all home."

"Little late, don't you think?" the girl retorted. "I'm the only one left and they're gonna beat me 'til I'm dead for information I don't even have, but why should I care? They killed my mom! She gave her own life trying to protect me, believing in some miraculous rescue and hoping they'd get here before it was too late for me."

"Can you walk?" Mike asked abruptly changing the subject as their time ticked away. "We need to leave now if we are going to get out of here alive."

She lifted one hand a few inches and dropped it carelessly, too exhausted and worn to care anymore. "Forget it. I can't walk and I'm just as good dead anyway; just go back to wherever you came from."

"We aren't leaving without you."

Mike carefully picked her up, surprised at just how light she was, and gently draping her arms over his shoulder.

"We are all getting out of here - alive."


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

So far all the efforts had been focused on the people trying to get in rather than the ones already in, but that proved to make a pickup near impossible.

Caitlin searched the sky for some sign of Airwolf, but none so far.

The Huey Cobra rounded the building to attempt another pickup but attracted too much gunfire that had his pickups ducking instead of climbing in.

"String, I can't get in; there's too much ground fire."

"Roger, I'll take care of it."

Airwolf soared above with a banshee challenge.

"Rivers," Hawke radioed, "I'm going to fight fire with fire, be ready for Saint John's pickup."

"We'll be waiting," Mike confirmed.

"Everyone up against the building."

String let loose a barrage of gunfire, eating up the ground, then launched a rocket into the ground as close as he dared, a smoky haze covering the area. Saint John flew his chopper directly into it, picked up the threesome and went to join Airwolf in the sky.

"I'll take care of the building and take up the tail until everything is clear. Now let's go home."

\A/

**At the hangar that evening…**

Saint John, Mike, and Caitlin waited inside the hangar for Dom and String to return; the day's mission wasn't a particularly pleasant topic for discussion but an evitable one.

String and Dom pulled up in the jeep after leaving the Lady at the Lair. Dom walked in first, String following him like a shadow. Three people waited for them, applauding their entrance and praising the victory against practically impossible odds.

"It's a shame you gave up flyin' Airwolf," Mike quipped. "I won't deny I love flying that baby but it's nice to sit back and watch the show occasionally."

Their recently rescued girl came in with a hot cup of coffee in hand, her face flooded with emotion, happiness, grief, hope, and pain all in one. As her eyes and Hawke's met there was a moment of instant recognition. He just knew, no explanations necessary.

"Dante…. She didn't make it."

"No, we were able to help her though," Cait added, sincerely wishing they could have done more for Dante but still pleased that their efforts weren't all a wasted cause.

"Renae," she supplied.

"Dante was your mother," he stated more as fact than question.

"Yes, she was," Renae answered quietly.

"Do you have some place to go, some family or friends?"

"I'll be alright," she assured him. "I've got an uncle I can stay with in town."

He nodded understandingly. "If you need anything, you know where to find us."

"Thanks," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gave a Hawke a tight final parting hug. "And Hawke," she added as she turned to leave, "my mom said thank you too for all you did."


End file.
